PERU: NO SHORT TERM TOURIST VISAS…

Well, had past guests of Four Villages Inn Nicki and Andrew decided to go to South America and had chosen Peru, they would not have needed to get tourist visas like they had to for their trip to Ghana. Thank God that they got a cheap flight to Ghana and the flights to South America were priced prohibitively.

So how did I find out Peru has a no tourist visa regulation?

John Haigh posted on Facebook: (John has travelled to Ghana many times and some of his friends have stayed at Four Villages Inn.)

A little 600 year old pyramid mound in a park a few hundred yards from my rooms.
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Christopher Scott I presume you are in Egypt where short-term tourists are not required to procure a visa…Egypt is among a number of African countries including Cape Verde, Senegal, the Gambia, and South Africa that do not require visas. Needless to say tourism revenues far exceed those of Ghana. The SCRAP SHORT TERM TOURIST VISA TO GHANA movement only wants to compete on a level playing field. Join the FB group and sign the petition.

(and I probably missed a number of other African nations like Morocco!)
23 hours ago · Like

Then this morning June 10 this appeared on my Facebook

John Haigh no visas needed for Europeans or south Americans here Chris! And as you know, Peru is a hot favourite for tourists – probably the top destination in South America!
4 hours ago · Like

OK, OK, I erred…Peru, not Egypt! Man, the former English teacher has lost some of his skills-600 year old pyramid not 6000-of course Peru, not Egypt

But then John posted this on my timeline:

John Haigh -Christopher Scott
4 hours ago ·

You commented on my photo of the pyramid round the corner from my house in Lima. Here in Peru, where tourism has become a very valuable part of the economy, Europeans do not need a visa. Which certainly encouraged me to visit originally. There are not a vast amount of tourists – I have just spent the afternoon at traditional festival with a few thousand people, and hardly 100 tourists – but their spending has a big impact in some small communities, some areas of Lima, some industries (traditional crafts). It has great publicity value too – in the past few weeks a couple of Peruvian restaurants have hit the list of the world’s top 50 restaurants, which is a massive achievement. If you want to achieve in this global economy, you have to engage with the world. Making it difficult for people to visit…not good.

Now, why did I engage John when seeing the picture of pyramid in Egypt, I mean Peru. Well John was one of the early members of the SCRAP SHORT TERM TOURIST VISAS TO GHANA and he commented back on May 13th. You will remember that this work, I mean campaign and yes movement started on May 1st:

Here is the conversation:

Cassie Ann
I understand the need for visas, however, without an easy process and embassies worldwide willing to uphold their policies and timelines, it is increasingly frustrating! I have now been to Ghana three times and each time the process has been worse and worse. The most recent, I applied three weeks in advance. I overnighted via Fedex to the USA, DC embassy, paid the expedited fee to guarantee I believe something like 5 business days? The website was not updated to inform that they would be closed for holiday and then election day and that the day following those days they were open but it is not considered a processing day. In addition, I called over 200 times and no one, not even the operator, answers the phone in the embassy. 13 business days later and two days before I was set to le…
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Festus Tumi and Richard Trillo like this.
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Festus Tumi Cassie, could I ask why you persisted in going to Ghana despite all the difficulties? You say this is your third time. Did any other destination ever cross your mind?
May 8 at 6:14pm · Unlike · 1

John Haigh I have been travelling to Ghana for over 20 years. In the last five years the visa service from the UK has improved enormously. They have a queuing system, the Visa by post has always worked for me, they do it in the time they say – a couple to three weeks but you can pay for faster; also the airport immigration is almost entirely professional and corruption free, both entering and leaving – these are massive improvements. Of course there may be snags but in the last 5-10 years Ghana seems to value tourism and helping people travel to Ghana without stress.
May 13 at 3:05am · Like

COMMENTS: 1. Expensive flights, and as commented on the scrap Facebook page expensive, unmonitored, uncontrolled hotels in Accra, make it all the more reasonable to scrap high tourist visa costs to Accra.
2. Issues at the Ghanaian missions abroad dictate that Ghana changes its visa regime. Ghana is losing precious business!
3. Yes, tourism has a big impact on small communities. Here in Ghana I refer to anything outside of Accra and not only for communities, but for small establishments and remember 98% of hotels are small enterprises.4. Yes, John, if Ghana wants to achieve in this global economy. it has to engage with the world. Making it difficult for people to visit…not good.

Accra, the capital of Ghana, has welcomed business travelers for years. Now tourists are streaming in, a byproduct of the fact that the country has Africa’s fastest-growing economy and is also one of its safest destinations.

AKWAABA/WELCOME:
This blog is my effort at internet activism. It's intent is to create awareness about the realities that impact lives in this struggling, confused democracy trying desperately to take its place in the global community.